Claremore Zebras Focused On 'Finishing' After Late Losses Last Year

It’s a crowded group atop the District 4 standings in class 5A. Claremore, Bishop Kelley and Skiatook are all 2-0 in district play, but that’ll change Friday night as the Zebras take on the Comets in a game that seems to always have big-time implications.

“We have to really get it started here and bring the noise,” said Claremore senior Ben Jones. "We've played these guys for a while. We used to be big-time rivals in junior high, and the majority of our players are seniors, so we have a lot of history with each other."

Claremore head coach Jarrett Hurt said, "Playing Bishop Kelley is always a big challenge. They're very well-coached, their kids are tough."

The Zebras took last year’s meeting 21-7. And with several returning players on both teams, Hurt is hoping for a similar result.

"It makes it a challenge because they're 4-1, we're 4-1, a lot like last year. The game is kind of setting up the same way as it did last year. We're just hoping for the same result," he said.

The theme for the Zebras this year has been “finish.”

After letting a couple games slip by late last season they vowed not to let that happen again. So far, it's paid off, and that's a credit to the experience they have leading the way.

"This year we really wanted to focus on finishing and, hopefully, make a good run to the playoffs," Jones said.